10 Everyday Ways to Support Your Mental Health

World Mental Health Day is recognized each year on October 10, bringing attention to mental health and the importance of making it part of the conversation about our overall health. It's also a good reminder to check in with yourself!

Mental health is personal, and taking care of it can look different from one person to the next. The habits that support our physical health, including regular movement, quality sleep, time outside, and strong social connections, can also play a role in how we feel day to day.

Here are 10 practical ways to support your mental health on World Mental Health Day and throughout the rest of the year.

1. Keep moving

Exercise has been studied extensively for its mental health benefits. A large 2024 review involving more than 14,000 participants found that walking or jogging, strength training, yoga, and mixed aerobic exercise reduced symptoms of depression. More recent research has also found benefits for symptoms of both depression and anxiety.*

For adults, the World Health Organization recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, along with muscle-strengthening activity at least twice a week.*

Your movement doesn't need to look the same every day. Get to a CG workout, take a walk, ride your bike, stretch, or choose an On-Demand recovery workout. Push when you feel ready and scale back when your body needs rest and recovery.

Try it this week: Schedule your CG workouts for the week, then look for smaller opportunities to move between them. Some movement is better than none!

2. Protect your sleep

When life gets busy, sleep is often one of the first things we sacrifice. Sleep plays an important role in mood, concentration, emotional regulation, and physical recovery. Most adults need at least seven hours per night, yet about 30% of U.S. adults report getting less than that.

Start with the basics: keep your sleep and wake times relatively consistent, give yourself time to wind down, and make your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet. If scrolling on your phone has become the last thing you do at night, try giving it a parking spot away from your bed.

Try it this week: Pick one realistic bedtime for the next week and work backward. Give yourself 30 minutes before bed without work, email, or endless scrolling.

3. Get outside

Time outdoors can be good for your head as well as your body. Research has associated nature exposure with lower stress and improvements in mood and mental well-being.*

Outdoor time can be simple. Eat lunch outside, take a lap around the block, work in the yard, or choose an outdoor CG workout. Even a short break gives you a change of scenery and a chance to step away from your screen.

Try it this week: Add 10–20 minutes outside to something you already do each day.

4. Stay connected with your people

Social connection matters for our health. The U.S. Surgeon General has identified loneliness and social isolation as public-health concerns because of their connections to both physical and mental health.*

This is also part of what makes the CG experience different. Your workout gives you a reason to show up, and your Trainer and community give you people to show up with. The conversation before Camp, the high-five after a hard finisher, and the friend who notices you weren't there last week matter too.

Try it this week: Text someone you haven't talked to in a while. Invite a friend to a workout. Stay five minutes after Camp and catch up instead of rushing straight to the car.

5. Give your brain a quiet minute

Stress is part of life. Having a way to slow things down can help when everything feels loud.

Meditation, breathing exercises, and other mindfulness practices can be useful tools for managing everyday stress and bringing your attention back to the present moment. The National Institute of Mental Health includes meditation and breathing exercises among the self-care practices that may support mental health.*

You don't need a 30-minute meditation practice or a perfectly quiet house. Start with a minute.

Try breathing in slowly through your nose, letting your breath out gradually and repeating for several rounds. Or take a short walk without headphones and pay attention to what's around you.

Try this: Take five slow breaths before your next workout, meeting, or stressful part of your day. You can also try the Meditation Moments found in the CG On-Demand Library:

• Quieting the Mind: 8-Min Meditation

• Tense and Release: 8-Min Meditation

• Using Senses to Calm: 8-Min Meditation

6. Take a break from your screen

Email, texts, news alerts, social media, and notifications can compete for your attention all day.

The relationship between screen use and mental health is complex, but research has found associations between problematic social media use and depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and lower well-being. A recent randomized trial also found improvements in stress, sleep and well-being when participants temporarily reduced smartphone screen time.*

Pay attention to your own habits and how you feel after spending time online. A few boundaries can help create more room for sleep, movement, conversations, and everything else happening away from a screen.

Try it this week: Turn off notifications you don't need, move one frequently used app off your home screen, or create one phone-free part of your day, whether that's your morning walk, dinner, or the 30 minutes before bed.

7. Keep yourself fueled

Food isn't a cure for anxiety, depression, or stress. It does, however, play an important role in overall health, energy, and how you feel throughout the day. Research into the relationship between dietary patterns and mental health continues to grow, but you don't need a special diet to take care of yourself.

Focus on the basics: eat regularly, include protein, get plenty of fruits and vegetables, choose fiber-rich carbohydrates and healthy fats, and drink enough water.

Anyone who has tried to get through an evening Camp after barely eating all day knows how much harder everything can feel when you're running on empty.

Try this: Build your next meal around a protein source, produce, and a quality carbohydrate. Keep a water bottle nearby and eat regularly enough that you're not running your entire day on caffeine.

8. Put your thoughts to paper

Writing can give you a place to sort through what's taking up mental space. Research suggests journaling may be a useful complementary tool for some people dealing with stress, anxiety, or depression, although results vary.*

Skip the pressure to fill three pages every morning. Write about what's bothering you, make tomorrow's to-do list, record 1-3 things that went well with your day or week, or jot down one thing you're worried about and one action you can take. Five minutes in a notebook or your phone's notes app is enough to give it a try!

Try it this week: Set a timer for five minutes and write without worrying about how it sounds.

9. Make time for things you enjoy

Work, family, errands, and responsibilities can fill a calendar quickly. Leave some room for things that make you feel like yourself, too!

Read. Garden. Cook. Listen to music. Play with your pets. Call a friend. Get back to a hobby you haven't made time for lately. Try a new workout. NIMH includes making time for relaxing activities you enjoy among its recommendations for caring for your mental health.*

Think less about what self-care is supposed to look like and more about what actually leaves you feeling better.

Try it this week: Put one thing on this week's calendar that you enjoy simply because you enjoy it.

10. Ask for help when you need it

Everyday habits can support your mental health, and there are times when additional support is important.

If you're experiencing persistent sadness or anxiety, changes in sleep or appetite, difficulty concentrating, loss of interest in things you usually enjoy, or symptoms that interfere with daily life, talk with a health care provider or mental health professional.

The National Institute of Mental Health recommends seeking professional help when severe or distressing symptoms last two weeks or longer.* Asking for help is part of taking care of your health!

If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call or text 988 to reach the

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Start with what you need

World Mental Health Day gives us a reminder to check in, but taking care of ourselves and each other matters every day of the year.

You don't need to tackle all 10 things at once. Look at what would help you most right now. Maybe you need more sleep. Maybe you need to get outside, call a friend, or put your phone away for a while. Maybe it's time to make an appointment you've been putting off.

Or maybe you get to a CG workout and give yourself 30 minutes to an hour to move, see your people, and focus on what's right in front of you.

At CG, we're big believers in showing up. That includes showing up for yourself.

Quick takeaways

• Regular movement can support both your physical and mental health.

• Sleep, outdoor time, and social connection deserve space in your routine.

• Simple habits like breathing, journaling, and taking screen breaks can help with everyday stress.

• Eating regularly and staying hydrated support the energy you need for your day.

• Mental health needs are different for everyone. Reach out to a qualified mental health professional when you need additional support.

References

1. Noetel M, et al. Effect of exercise for depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ. 2024.

2. Effect of exercise on depression and anxiety symptoms: systematic umbrella review with meta-meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2026.

3. National Center for Health Statistics. Short Sleep Duration and Sleep Difficulties Among Adults: United States, 2024. 2026.

4. Bettmann JE, et al. How Does Nature Exposure Affect Adults With Symptoms of Mental Illness? A Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing. 2024.

5. U.S. Surgeon General. Social Connection.

6. National Institute of Mental Health. Caring for Your Mental Health.

7. Ahmed O, et al. Social media use, mental health and sleep: A systematic review with meta-analyses. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2024.

8. Smartphone screen time reduction improves mental health: a randomized controlled trial. 2025.

9. Kabthymer RH, et al. Effect of Mediterranean diet on mental health outcomes: a systematic review. Nutrition Research Reviews. 2025.

10. Efficacy of journaling in the management of mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

11. National Institute of Mental Health. My Mental Health: Do I Need Help?